Bresson was a largely influential photographer, and could be considered as an idividual who has helped to form and develop photography as it is now. In 1952, he had published The Decisive Moment, which he'd collected images for over two decades of- this became one of his most famous and inspirational works. Bresson's work is largely focussed on composition and structure, rather than just subject matter. There is a large amount of work put into how the image is framed, and what should be included/excluded from the frame. In essence, he captures the world just as it is, with no manipulation. The concept of the decisive moment, simply, is to capture something wholly and accurately.
L'appareil photographique est pour moi un carnet de croquis, l'instrument de l'intuition et de la spontanéité, le maître de l'instant qui, en termes visuels, questionne et décide à la fois. The camera is for me a sketchbook, the instrument of intuition and spontaneity, the master of the moment who, in visual terms, questions and decides at the same time. - Henri Cartier-Bresson |